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Treasure Coast Pharmacy Raided by Drug Enforcement Agency

Treasure Coast Pharmacy, a Florida-based compounding pharmacy well known in the bodybuilding community for compounding custom formulations of anabolic steroids, was raided by several U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agents early on Tuesday morning. The Florida Department of Health also participated in the raid. Agents seized several boxes of documents possibly containing records of prescribing doctors and pharmacy clients.

The compounding pharmacy, which was rumored on bodybuilding forums to be under investigation by the DEA, was one of the largest producers of compounded hormone replacement therapy formulations. Individuals on several forums discussed obtaining topical and injectable testosterone products as well as other anabolic steroids such as stanozolol and nandrolone from Treasure Coast Pharmacy.

Treasure Coast Pharmacy previously attracted the attention of the DEA by selling “steroid candies” containing stanozolol. A DEA Microgram Bulletin alerted agents to the steroid candies presumably to create alarm that the “candies” were being marketed to children. William Llewellyn wrote about this in a column for Muscular Development.

The DEA reports that this is the first finding of stanozolol-containing candies. Given the fear many parents already have of teen steroid use, a report like this is (of course) exactly what the media needs to spark a new emotional discussion about kids and steroids.

In reviewing the DEA bulletin, one notices that the accompanying photograph is of a labeled product, which bears the name “Stanozolol Troches.” There is a labeled dosage as well, 50 mg. The troches are pink and square, and scored into quarters, perhaps so they can be broken into smaller dosages. They sit in a pink plastic box, with a manufacturer listed on the outside, namely Treasure Coast Pharmacy. [...]

At quick glance, someone might read the report and assume an extremely unscrupulous drug dealer was producing steroid-containing candies in an effort to attract children as customers. The reality is far different, of course— namely, a DEA licensed pharmacy producing the drug (perhaps in a more convenient form) for adult patients under the care of a doctor. It is probably not worthy of law enforcement attention, and I certainly don’t think it’s time we alert the media and gather up the children. We’ll have to wait, however, and see if others agree.

Curiously, a local television news station interviewed a former drug addict as an “expert” on the legality of Treasure Coast Pharmacy’s operations. The former addict was convinced that people sitting in cars and smoking cigarettes in front of the establishment was evidence of suspicious activity at the pharmacy.

Richard Bertine was thrilled to see the operation in progress. He works in the plaza and as a self-proclaimed former drug user he recognized what he called plenty of suspicious activity.

“Here, they show up. Four people hang out in the car and smoke cigarettes; they come and go, they’re lingering they’re waiting,” said Bertine.

The DEA issued an immediate suspension order which prohibited the pharmacy from selling any controlled substances. The Florida Department of Health issued an emergency order to close the compounding pharmacy.